


There's a Ghost in the Back of This Room

by thunderstormsablaze



Category: All Elite Wrestling
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Spectrophilia, alternate universe - one's a ghost, but only for like 3 paragraphs of daydreaming, kenny is tired of kennys shit, possibly too many mentions of studio ghibli, the bucks are tired of kennys shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:02:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29655192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderstormsablaze/pseuds/thunderstormsablaze
Summary: Kenny moves into a peaceful little cottage, ready to start his life. Until he gets notice it may not be so peaceful.
Relationships: Ibushi Kota/Kenny Omega
Kudos: 2





	There's a Ghost in the Back of This Room

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first time really writing interactions and dialogue between Matt, Nick, and Kenny so hopefully it's not too out of character, I'm sorry if it is.

The cottage is small, comfortable for one person without many belongings. But the most important thing, it's cheap. Something Kenny desperately needs, toting merely a carful of belongings and large handfuls of student debt. The outside of the house is hauntingly beautiful, wildflowers full of life covering every inch of the exposed circle in the middle of the woods upon the little hill. Birds chirping in the distance, barely any noise from the quaint little town a few minutes drive down the long and winding road. Peaceful, tranquil. Beautiful as only nature could be.

It looks to be straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie, something Kenny is extremely familiar with, both through his childhood growing up a huge fan of Japanese animation, and his college education. As an animator, he watched many an animated film for homework; no matter how many options out there he always returned to Studio Ghibli. The beauty in the animation, peace within the images, everything. He always loved them. It's only fitting for him to make his first home in a cottage similar to the ones he admired. 

With a smile he steps out of the car, pausing outside it to just take in the scenery. After four years trapped within a city, busy without a speck of nature, he loves the meadow. It's pure, fresh, clean. A new start. Kenny smiles wider, taking his bags and walking up the cobblestone path to the front of the cottage. Pushing open the oak door, he's greeted with a small kitchen, barely enough room for a fridge, stove, sink, and counterspace. A rickety table shoved in the middle of it. 

He loves the home already. While it's small and cramped, it feels safe, somewhere he can relax and thrive in. There's a bouquet of Higanbana flowers delicately perched on the table, bright, just like the rest of the room. He sets his suitcases next to the door and kicks off his shoes, not even bothering to close it behind him, after all there's no one around for miles. Exploring the rest of the cottage, he realizes it's smaller than he thought initially. But not cage like, almost like a warm embrace. 

The sun shines through baby blue curtains, a window over the foot of the bed, giving a bright wash to the small room. The single bed shoved into a corner, a closet behind the headboard, and a desk opposite the window. There's barely enough space to walk around much less sit at the desk, but Kenny can manage. Emerging from the pastel pink room once more, he walks past the bathroom on the other end of the hallway, nothing special, just a toilet, sink, and shower. The hall extends into a tiny sitting area, an old ratty couch next to bare shelves opposite a sliding glass and green door to the back of the cottage.

Kenny hums quietly, walking out the back and feeling the softness of the grass under his feet. It grounds him, reminds him he's no longer in the whirlwind of the city, that everything here is his. He walks back to the car, making a few trips to get the rest of his things and placing them in areas with a little space until he can unpack. Locking up the car, he brings his last bag to the cottage. Setting it on the counter, he furrows his eyebrows. The Higanbanas are gone.

Looking through the windows - the cottage is covered in them, lots of natural light - he doesn't see anyone around. No paths in the wildflowers, no other car by his. There's no explanation for where the flowers went, Kenny knows he didn't imagine them, they were clearly on the table. But flowers don't just disappear. No limbs to just get up and walk away, they should still be in the ornate vase. 

There's no use lingering on it, not with so many other beautiful flowers outside, he can just pick more. Daisies and mums and lily of the valley join together as he selects a few, filling the vase with water and dropping in the flowers. He smiles, setting them back on the table before going around the kitchen, preparing dinner for himself. Lost in his own little paradise, not noticing the unnatural shadow peering from the sunroom to the kitchen. Oblivious to the dark brown eyes observing the man barging in and ruining the calm of the cottage. Interrupting his serene home. 

Kenny finishes his dinner in peace and cleans up the dishes, putting them on the rack to dry before leaving the house once more. A shiver runs up his spine as he passes through the sunroom, yet he doesn't know why. He waves it off, assuming it to be nothing. Outside, in the warm pleasant air, he lays down in the sea of flowers. Hands tucked behind his curly hair, he stares up at the stars. Enjoying their presence for the first time since leaving Canada; they hid from him all throughout his college days. Calm washes through him, finally back under their watchful gaze.

Once he feels the pull of sleep calling to him, Kenny gets up, reluctant to leave the stars but knowing he needs to sleep in a real bed. With a sigh he returns to the house, closing the glass door behind him, and going to brush his teeth. The lights flicker on and off as he walks through the house and he groans, not in the mood to replace a lightbulb. So he shoves that to the next day's tasks, completing his night routine while purposefully ignoring the random turning on and off of lights.

He pulls on pajama pants and collapses into the bed, exhausted from the day's travel. He turns out the lights and looks out the window, sleepily smiling as he watches the stars, their beauty sending him into sleep. In his dreams, he wanders around, ghosting through forests and meadows alike. He catches a glimpse of a young adult around his age, perhaps a year or two older, only a flicker of motion and black hair before the man is gone. Kenny searches the woods yet no sight nor sound of the man appears again, the small glimpse haunting his dream until he wakes the next morning.

His eyes crack open and he sighs, turning over and burying his face back into the pillow. The alarm clock reads 8am, too early for him to be functional. But sleep eludes him, no longer an option. A resigned sigh, he gets up and pads out to the kitchen, searching the cabinets for coffee and his caffeine boost. Perhaps that's why his eyes glazed over the fact all the dishes are put away, exhaustion. He scowls when he realizes he didn't bring any coffee with him, though then he remembers seeing a little coffee shop in town as he drove to the cottage.

Scowl still across his lips, he makes his way back to his room and pulls on clothes, grabbing his keys from the desk where they haphazardly lay. His eyes dart to the blinds, fairly certain he didn't close them when he left the room. But he must have, no one else is in the house. He sighs and leaves the cottage, going to his car and climbing in, driving down the road to the shop. 

Upon parking the car, Kenny gets out and walks into the hole in the wall shop, the welcoming scent of fresh coffee meeting his nose. He walks up to the counter, smiling faintly at a man with the most absurd mutton chops he's ever seen. In the back of his mind, he notes the man's name, Matt, but he's more concentrated on getting caffeine into his system as fast as possible.

"Hello there, you must be new to town. What can I get you today?" Mutton chops asks, the voice drawing the attention of the other man standing behind the counter. Kenny notices he looks younger than mutton chops, with the most blinding blue eyes he's ever seen. He smiles faintly at him as his brain sluggishly works, trying to piece together what was said.

"Uh, a large iced coffee please. And can I get a blueberry scone with it? Thanks." Kenny hopes his voice isn't too sleep coated and is somewhat understandable by mutton chops.

The man smiles and nods, leaving the counter and getting the coffee ready while blue-eyes reaches into the pastry window to get the scone. Blue eyes, Kenny reads the name as Nick as he walks closer, sets the food on the counter as mutton chops returns to the counter with the coffee. He rings him up and Kenny hands over the required amount of money, taking a drink from the coffee and sighing happily.

"So new guy, what's your name? Where do you live?" Blue eyes inquires, leaning against the counter and smiling at him. Mutton chops elbows him under the counter and Kenny laughs quietly as he drinks more coffee, getting the caffeine in his system to wake him up.

"My name is Kenny Omega, I just graduated from animation school and moved into the cottage on the hill yesterday." Kenny replies, taking a bite of his scone. "Who are you two?"   
  
"I'm Matt, this is my younger and worse brother, Nick," mutton chops smirks, wincing as blue eyes - Nick - gives him a punch to the shoulder. 

"Ignore Matt, he doesn't know what he's talking about." Nick rolls his eyes, smiling at Kenny. Matt huffs and shakes his head. "You live in the abandoned cottage? Well let me tell you, it's abandoned for-" Matt covers his mouth.

Kenny looks on confused, not sure what the big deal is over living in his new home. Matt rolls his eyes, "ignore him, he's just trying to scare you. It's nothing. It'll be nice to have new blood in town. If you have any questions just let one of us know, we've lived here all our lives and know everything about this town and the surroundings."

Nick huffs, crossing his arms as he glares at his brother. "It's kind of a big deal Matt, you remember what happened when we went up there, I almost lost an eye!"   
  
Kenny pauses, suddenly interested in what Nick had to say about his house. "Wait what? Why did you almost lose an eye? Did something happen?"

Matt throws up his hands as Nick nods, looking around to make sure no one can overhear him before speaking, "it's haunted. It sounds crazy, I know, but me and Matt went up there all the time in our childhood. There's a weird vibe to that place, I'm telling you. We got a vase thrown at us and it hit my shoulder. I still have a scar from it."

Kenny's stomach sinks, unease flooding his system. Maybe what Nick's saying has some merit, he  _ did _ see some weird things the past day, cold spots, flickering lights, all signs of a ghost. He shakes his head, that's just some movie plot. Right? It can't be haunted, he would've gotten a notice when he bought the house.

"I hope that doesn't scare you off, you seem like a nice guy. Please don't leave." Matt smiles a little, "it's not that scary. Nick just pissed off the ghost, I think it's relatively nice. We went up there a number of times after getting it thrown at us and nothing happened. I'm sure it's perfectly safe up there, maybe the ghost moved on. We haven't been there in the past year, that's a long time for a ghost to stick around with nothing to do."

Kenny nods slowly, not really sure what to make of the new information. He doesn't think the house is haunted, but he's no expert in the supernatural. He's just an animator, fresh out of college, he didn't sign up for this shit. 

"Uh, I don't think the house is haunted? I don't know. I haven't seen a ghost." Kenny muses, tilting his head and taking a bite of the scone. "But ghosts aren't real, right? They're just superstition. And why would there be a ghost in the cottage anyway?"

Nick shrugs, "no one knows, but we're sure it's haunted. When we were kids we looked into everything, even tried checking property records. But either the ghost was there illegally or a long time ago, there… aren't exactly a lot of records anymore. Everything's been in families for ages, take this shop, we inherited it from our dad. No one remembers anyone living in the cottage though, not even the old people in town. But I wouldn't worry, you're a nice guy, the ghost probably won't mind you."

Kenny pauses and takes in the information, turning it over in his head. While he thinks, he finishes eating the scone and drinking the coffee, throwing the trash away in the bin. He looks back at the brothers and smiles, "it was nice to meet you two, the coffee was really good. And thanks for the story." 

He waves awkwardly and leaves the shop, not really sure what to make of the fact there may or may not be a ghost in his house. Though he doesn't think anyone would know what to do if they found a ghost in their house. Maybe move. But Kenny can't really afford to move again so soon, and he's not going to let a ghost stop him from living his life. 

On the way back to the cottage Kenny spots a small grocery store on the road and stops, parking in front of it and going inside. He smiles at the store owner, some blond guy with fluffy hair, before searching the aisles for some food he needs. He brought some food with him, but he finds he needs more. And he might as well get to know some of the people in the town.

Kenny brings the items up to the counter with him and smiles at the guy behind the register, patiently letting him ring him up. A quick glance at the nametag reveals his name, Adam, or at least he thinks. The blonds long curly hair half-obscures it. Kenny feels like he should be intimidated, the other man is really muscular and kinda has that intensity to him, yet he doesn't get dangerous vibes from him. It's really nice, everyone in the town seems kind.

"Hey there, you must be the new one in town. The name's Adam Page, nice to meet you. I run this here shop." He smiles wide, a faint southern accent to his words as he starts scanning the things on the counter and putting them into paper bags. 

Kenny nods and smiles back, instantly at ease with the new man. "Yeah, I'm Kenny Omega. Just moved into the cottage in the woods yesterday. Before you say something, yes, I already heard it was haunted."   
  
Adam raises an eyebrow as he finishes putting the things into bags, "haunted-oh. You went to the coffee shop, didn't you. Met Matt and Nick, horrid mutton chops and bright as fuck blue eyes?"   
  
"Yup, that's them," Kenny laughs, shaking his head in amusement. "Nick told me about getting things thrown at him by the ghost. I just… can't imagine I'm living in a haunted house you know? It's just so peaceful out there. How can a ghost be living there too?"   
  
Adam shrugs, "I have no idea. Ghosts are weird man, but I wouldn't look too far into it if I were you. They love to pick on new people and over exaggerate things. I'm sure it was nothing, just a rib. If you have more trouble with them just tell me, they're good people, just need to get some sense slapped into them once in a while."

Kenny nods and smiles, giving Adam the money and taking his bags, "thanks, I'll keep that in mind. It was nice to meet you." He waves and walks back to his car, turning over what the blond told him in his mind. Sure, it's entirely possible the brothers were playing jokes on him, after all the cottage was so innocent and a ghost would taint it. But the conviction with which they spoke… and the fact he had seen some odd things…

He shakes his head and climbs back into the car, driving back to his new home. It's nonsense, it must be. Ghosts aren't real, and he would know if his house was haunted. Yet he can't shake the feeling there may truly be something wrong with the cottage. Flowers don't just disappear. Upon thinking about his home, he realizes it's too perfect. Too serene, too tranquil. Too much beauty to not be hiding some ugly truth under the pristine walls. 

Kenny parks his car in the same space as the previous day, walking up the cobblestone path, arms laden with groceries. He kicks open his door and walks in, setting the bags on the rickety table. But something feels off. Disturbing the sanctity of the home. It's indescribable, in fact he's barely aware of it. Yet he can't let it go- it's far too odd for that. Nick's words permeate into his thoughts, reminding him of the ghost hidden within the walls.

But that's impossible, ghosts aren't real. Kenny can't accept ghosts being real, for he would have to confront a lot more than he's ready for with that revelation. And just because he lives in a Studio Ghibli cottage doesn't mean he really lives in a Studio Ghibli movie. The spirits from the movies are one one side of the screen, reality on the other. He can peer into their world, they can't do the same in return. 

He continues with putting the food away, cleaning up the small space, for if he left it untidy he would have no space left to live in. He goes to leave the room, but turns back as he reaches the hall. Pulling out his phone and taking a picture of the kitchen. Just because of the lighting, he tells himself, not because what Nick told him has any merit. Not because ghosts are real. Or because he needs to make absolutely certain about that. 

Fetching his sketchbook from the bag strewn atop the desk, he walks back past the kitchen, fighting the urge to look in- he looks in. Nothing out of place, as he expected. With a sigh he continues his path outside, finding a tranquil spot under a tree. Sitting with his back to it, he flips the sketchbook open to the next clean page. Pulling out a charcoal pencil, he starts to draw the serene beauty all around him. 

Engrossed in his art, he doesn't notice the flicker of a shadow passing the window. Nor does he hear the crash of wood on the wood floor, and the frantic  _ kuso _ , followed by more scrambling to put everything in its proper place. There's no notice of the sudden frosting over of windows quickly followed by its disappearance, nothing. For Kenny blends the world between fantasy and reality when he draws, existing on another plane above them all. 

Only drawn out of his trance by the incessant rumbling of his stomach, he lets out a sigh and looks down at his drawing, taking a look at it for the first time. It's the man he saw in his dream, frolicking in the meadow next to the cottage while Kennys drawn self looks on. It's hard to make out his expression, but it looks happy. Kenny's confused, why did his subconscious decide to latch onto this man so much? But his stomach startles him from the train of thought once more and he sighs, going back inside.

Too hungry to remember his plan, he doesn't notice how the chair is moved slightly to the left. Nor does he see how the artfully arranged bouquet is askew, petals knocked carelessly to the tabletop. He makes himself some box mac and cheese, in his defence he's hungry and it's the fastest option. As he sets the water to boil, he makes some final touches on his sketch, setting the pad aside as he adds the pasta to the water. Completely oblivious to the near invisible man standing in the corner, observing the intruder with intense scrutiny. 

Mac and cheese finished, Kenny sighs and puts it in a "socially acceptable" vehicle, a bowl. He doesn't know why he did it, it's not like there was anyone around to judge him, yet he felt it was necessary. Perhaps it's his subconscious raising alarm bells to him that there's another presence in the room, but whatever it is he doesn't pick up on it. Upon sitting at the table, he notices the flowers askew. Looking around, he tries to figure out what it was. He spots an open window and immediately assumes that's what it is. Ignoring the fact he never felt a breeze outside.

All of a sudden, Kenny feels eyes on him. Watching him, stalking him. He stiffens, eyes narrowing as he tries to pinpoint exactly where they come from. Jerking his head up, he swiftly looks towards the corner, not expecting to see anything until there's something. Just a faint flicker, possibly a trick of the light. But the blond knows better, at least he's pretty sure he does. It's a fucking ghost. 

Shock, terror, curiosity, panic. They all flash through his mind in quick succession before he can figure out exactly what he's seeing. Everything he thought he knew tearing down around him, the normality of the world flying right out the window. He doesn't know what to make of it. So he bursts out laughing. He's always wanted to be an anime protagonist, and perhaps on some level he thought moving to a flowery Studio Ghibli meadow would make his dream happen. But he never expected something like this to happen.

"Who are you? Why are you in my house?" He asks, staring at the ghost who slowly comes into better view. The ghost going from almost entirely invisible, just barely a ripple in reality, to a man he can see in full view, only translucent, he can barely see the kitchen through the man. All of a sudden, it hits. It's the man from his dream. 

The ghost looks at him with confusion written all over his features. Kenny studies him more, finding the other man beautiful in a strange way. His features delicately ethereal, but somehow beautiful in a way Kenny never expected. The ghost is a work of art, and in some way Kenny feels like he willed him into existence through his sketches. Yet he knows that's not the case, he can always dream. 

"Can you talk? I guess not, you're not talking to me. Or are you just being petty." Kenny continues, alternating between his food and looking at the ghost. He sighs, pushing the empty bowl to the middle of the table and turning to face the ghost. "I still can't believe you're real...:"

His inquiries are met with more silence, a somewhat awkward tension clouding the room. Kenny sighs, feeling almost naked under the intense gaze. "Do you even understand me? Do ghosts have a different language? I guess give me a thumbs up if you know what I'm saying."

This time, the ghost smiles. He gives a thumbs up and immediately starts gesturing with his hands, much too fast for Kenny to keep up. In his defense, he tries his hardest to follow the motions and understand what they mean, but that doesn't change he has no clue what the ghost is trying to say. 

"Hold on ghost, please. I'm sorry. I don't understand. I don't know what all this-" he flails his arms around in an attempt to mimic the ghosts movements, "means." The ghost stares at him in what can only be disdain and frustration, though Kenny thinks he could just be projecting. Come to think of it, he probably is. At least somewhat. Nevertheless, he pushes on.

"Um, I don't know your name. I'm Kenny by the way." The ghost nods and smiles faintly, making a symbol with his hand, like a peace sign with his thumb between the upright fingers, holding it against his right shoulder. Then he points at Kenny. Kenny tilts his head, eyes narrowing as he tries to figure out what the ghost is trying to tell him. "Is… is that me? Am I" he attempts to mimic the symbol. The ghost's face lights up with a smile and he nods eagerly. Kenny finds himself grinning back, any earlier tension fading into happiness. 

"So, uh, now can you tell me your name?" Kenny asks, staring at the ghost with the remnant of a smile across his lips. The ghost nods and makes more symbols with his hands, to which Kenny shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." 

The ghost looks dejected, hanging his head and slowly fading back into the house. Finding no point in sticking around if he wouldn't be understood. It's just his luck the first time someone comes in a long time they don't understand sign language. It took the ghost ages to learn it and to understand English, yet none of it matters. He's just as meaningless as ever, unable to interact with the world.

"Wait, no, please don't go. We can figure it out." Kenny scrambles, doing his best to keep the ghost from fading. "Um, let me think. Is there anything around that sounds like your name? We can figure this out."

The ghost sighs quietly and nods, staring at the blond for a moment before pointing to the coats by the front door then making a fist but with his thumb on the outside of his fingers. Kenny stares blankly. Suddenly, he knows he's in over his head. By a lot. Why did he agree to a game of charades with a ghost? He should've known it wouldn't end well. But knowing things won't end well and doing them anyway seems to be a constant pattern in his life. 

"Uh, jacket, Jack? Sleeve… Steve?" The ghost just stares blankly, shaking his head and repeating the point and hand sign. Kenny scowls, frustration pouring over him in waves. If only he knew what the symbol meant, that might give him more of a hint towards what the ghost's name is. Kenny shrugs helplessly, "coat?"   
  
The ghost lights up and nods, it's close enough to his real name he can live with it. Kenny bursts out laughing, "Coat? That's such a weird name, why would someone name you Coat?" Coat shrugs, starting to sign that he's from Japan, not America, but he quickly abandons that. He learned quickly enough Kenny wouldn't understand him signing. But soon a realization hits. He shakes his head, focusing as hard as he can and moving flower petals on the table to spell four letters.

Kenny looks down at them and he smiles, "well that makes a lot more sense. Hi Kota, it's nice to meet you. Can you spell out more things?" He looks over at Coat- no, Kota and sees the ghost shaking his head, notably a lot fainter than he was before. "Oh. You can't do it a lot." Kota shakes his head again, looking at Kenny sadly. 

"I should've known, that's what happens in all those movies. The spirits are weak after interacting in the physical world too much. Um, do you disappear again to regain strength?" Kota nods and smiles sadly, now that he found a friend he doesn't want to leave. What if Kenny forgets about him? Kenny smiles back and nods, "go get your strength back Kota. I'll be here when you're ready again. Can you leave the house at all?"

Kota shakes his head and motions to the walls, Kenny instantly understanding. The ghost hadn't left the walls since he started haunting the building. It saddens him, such a beautiful spirit shouldn't be stuck inside. They should be free, able to see the wonders of the world. Not trapped within a small cottage with no one around to spend their time with. 

"That's okay Kota. I'll be here when you return." Kenny reassures, smiling gently. Kota nods, fading back into the background, as Kenny sits at the table, trying to comprehend what just happened. His whole world turned on its head, ghosts exist. One wants to be his friend,  _ he's friends with a ghost _ . And the ghost is really really handsome too.

Fuck. Kenny buries his head in his hands, of course the first guy he's been attracted to that isn't a celebrity he has no chance with is a ghost. Great. Just his luck. Why can't he just think normal people are hot, like that blond cowboy-ish cashier. That guy's normal, why didn't Kenny find him handsome. Why did it have to be a ghost of all things. 

Is it even morally acceptable to fall in love with a ghost? Can ghosts consent to romantic relationships? Kenny groans, he hates this. He can't even communicate well with the ghost, he called him a coat of all things. That's not very romantic. Plus the odds are the ghost is straight, do ghosts even feel attraction? Do they lose it after they die? 

And none of that answers the most important question, how does he get fucked by a ghost. He's fairly certain Kota wouldn't be able to stay somewhat solid for that long, come to think of it he doesn't even know if Kota in that translucent form would be able to touch him. And clearly using something else wouldn't work, he saw how much the ghost struggled with moving the petals, and that was brief. A quiet sigh, he'll concentrate on that when he figures out what to do with dating a ghost. 

It's not his fault he thinks Kota is absolutely beautiful, if he weren't a ghost Kenny would be asking him out already. Well, that's a lie, more like pining for a few months before getting up the courage to ask him on a date, but he can lie to himself. None of that matters though, Kota's a ghost. And Kenny can't do anything about that. He can barely accept ghosts are real even after seeing one with his own two eyes. He pinches his arm as hard as he can, but the petals still lay on the table, arranged to spell out Kota. So he's forced to accept it's real.

Still somewhat in a trance, Kenny walks around, cleaning up the kitchen from his meal. He tears out the page in his sketchbook of him and Kota, taping it to the wall in lieu of having a frame. A soft smile, longing for what was in the picture. He wishes he could touch Kota, or if not that, even see him in nature. Such pity for the ghost who can't go outside, feel the kiss of sun on his skin or the brush of flowers against his ankles. The little beauties in nature, never to be felt by Kota ever again. 

Kenny has many questions, yet none of them he feels he can ask the ghost. He wants to go back into town, ask Matt and Nick since they seem like the ones to know the most about the mystery of Kota, but he promised he would stay. And he's not one to break his promises. It's not a huge deal, he'll be able to see the brothers the next day, but he wants answers to his questions now. Plus having something to distract him from whether or not he can be fucked by (or fuck) a ghost would be nice. 

To distract himself, Kenny unpacks the rest of his things and makes the cottage more homey. Setting out pictures from his college days, some art he's rather proud of, blankets on the furniture, books on the selves. On a whim, he arranges things in a way he thinks, he hopes, Kota will like. A small part of him desperately wanting to impress the ghost.

Hours pass of Kenny getting things done, cleaning up around the cottage for a little until he curls up on the ratty couch with a book he'd been meaning to read. He gets through about a third of it before his light gets suddenly dimmer. Looking up, he's pretty sure it was a clear day so why is there a cloud, a wide grin spreads across his lips. His ghost friend is back, looking a lot more healthy and glowing. 

Not just glowing in the sense of beauty, though Kenny admits Kota has that too. But actually giving off a tiny bit of light. He didn't notice it on their first interaction, he thinks that's fine though considering he just found out ghosts were real, but it's unavoidable right now. Kota gives off a faint glow of light, like a firefly under the cover of a thin cloth. Kenny giggles, Kota's radiant. Literally. 

"Hey there Kota, you feeling better?" Kenny asks, setting his book on the couch next to him. Kota stands awkwardly and nods, giving a small smile in return before moving to float above the couch next to Kenny. The living man needing to hold himself back from trying to touch the ghost, he doesn't know what would happen if he did but he doesn't want to risk upsetting Kota. It was lonely for the few hours without him around, and Kenny likes the company. 

Kenny smiles and nods, just looking at him for a while and taking in his beauty. He feels almost intimidated in a way, like he's not worthy of being within the ghost's presence. Yet he knows it's made up in his mind, if anything the ghost shouldn't be there. It can't stop him from feeling that way though, that he stumbled into a small piece of paradise that shouldn't have been intruded upon. 

They spend the night just sitting in each other's presence, learning as much as they can about the other. It shouldn't work, Kenny shouldn't be able to tell so much about Kota just by being with him, but it does work. The delicate balance of them, he doesn't want it to end. But eventually it grows too dark to see and he starts yawning, drawing concerned looks from the ghost. Kenny chuckles and smiles, "it's okay Kota. I'm just tired."

Kota nods and shimmers, waving at him and giving him a small smile before disappearing back into nothing. Kenny yawns again, getting up and fumbling his way to the light, the ghosts faint illumination his eyes had gotten used to gone. Following his bedtime routine, he climbs into bed and turns on his side, rather quickly falling asleep. 

The night passes uneventfully, waking up fairly early the next day. Kenny groans, wanting to scream at his body for not letting him get enough sleep. But at least he has coffee. Until he remembers he forgot to buy some from the blond in town and he wants to scream. He sighs and slowly climbs out of bed, going back to that quaint coffee house it is. This early he can't concentrate on the beauty of the cottage, more focused on getting caffeine into his system to wake him up. 

No sign of Kota, Kenny stumbles out the door and drives back into town, parking in the same spot in front of the coffee house. He opens the door, hit in the face with the scent of fresh ground coffee, and makes his way to the counter. Mutton chops is back, looking way too awake for this early in the morning, waving at him as he approaches.

"Same thing as yesterday?" Matt asks, getting a nod in return before starting to make the drink. Nick comes over when he sees who's there, a smirk across his face. "So how was staying in the haunted house? See a ghost?"

"Actually, yeah. The ghost's really friendly. Some guy named Kota." Kenny replies before he can stop himself, filter gone until he gets more awake. "Do you know of any Kota who lived there?" 

Blank stares as they exchange coffee and money. They exchange a look- that wasn't the answer they were expecting. "What do you mean 'the ghost's friendly'? And who is Kota?" Nick inquires, tilting his head and leaning over the counter slightly.

"He's friendly. We talked a bit, well I talked to him and he nodded, but close enough. He didn't hurt me, was more curious than anything." Kenny shrugs and drinks some of the coffee, sighing happily as the caffeine gets into his system. "Wait… I said that out loud, didn't I."

Matt and Nick nod in unison and Matt shakes his head, "wow. I can't believe you talked to a ghost. Seriously, his name is Kota? I don't know of any Kota who lived in town all our lives. Or in the past. Are you sure you didn't mishear it?"   
  
Kenny nods and drinks more coffee, "I'm sure. I called him 'coat' at first before he spelled his name as Kota to me. He's really handsome too, even by human standards." 

Nick stares blankly, "a hot ghost. Kenny, how drunk were you last night? What drugs were you on? Ghosts are, well, ghosts. Sheetlike things that just moan and wail- wait- you better not have found the moaning hot." 

Kennys eyes widen and he shakes his head, spluttering and trying not to choke on the coffee. "No, he didn't moan. And he wasn't a sheet, he was a regular person like you or me. Just translucent. And a little bit glowing, plus he could float. Are you sure there's no Kota in town? He has to have died there, he can't leave the cottage."

Matt nods slowly, "I'm sure. I would've remembered if I saw a Kota in the property records or if someone mentioned a Kota. So if there really is a ghost named Kota, he must've lived there off the record."

Kenny nods slowly, finishing his coffee and taking a bite of the scone. If there's no Kota in the property records, where did he come from? The ghost had to have an origin. He sighs quietly, resigning himself to a bit of research to figure out who the ghost was in his past life. 

"Oh yeah, one more thing. What do you think of having a relationship with a ghost? Like, romantically. Dating." Kenny asks, looking over at them. "Kota looks to be my age, maybe a year or two older, but he can't be that far off."   
  
Nick almost chokes and his eyes widen comically. "What- Kenny- Why did you ask us that? We just met yesterday!" Matt shakes his head and he sighs, "I guess it's up to you and the ghost at that point. Just don't break your heart by being with someone who you can't touch."   
  
"I'm sorry! But you two are like the only people I know and didn't seem like you would slap me if I asked." Kenny blushes bright red, looking down. One of the days having no filter until after the caffeine really set in is a very very bad thing. "Thanks Matt, I'll keep that in mind."

Kenny smiles faintly, "thanks guys, you helped a lot." He finishes eating his scone and throws away the wrapper, doing the same with his empty coffee mug. "I'll see you around."

"Keep us updated on the ghost sex!" Nick calls, Kenny laughing and blushing as he leaves the shop. Distantly he can hear the sound of fighting, turning around to see both the brothers bickering and laughing. Kenny shakes his head and smiles, walking back to his car so he can return to the cottage.

Back at the cottage, he walks in and waves to Kota who's floating around, inspecting the art hung up around the walls. Kota waves back and smiles, turning his attention back to the drawings. Kenny sighs quietly, getting his laptop from the room and debating on how to do this research. He doesn't want the ghost to see what he's researching, thinking it almost wrong in a way. Dirty. 

"Hey Kota, I'm going outside for a while, I'll be back in by lunch, but I want to draw the landscape and I can't do that from in here." It's not completely a lie, he does plan to draw the calm meadow, but he needs to be sure Kota won't look over his shoulder as he digs into his personal life.

Dejected, Kota nods but smiles faintly as he watches Kenny leave. Once outside, Kenny finds a comfortable spot facing the house but close enough he can still access the internet. He loads up google but then sits on the search screen. He doesn't know Kota's last name. With a sigh, he types in Kota to the search bar, hoping it will give him something. 

Unfortunately, there's nothing of use. A news channel, a town in India, and therapy is all that comes up. Thinking for a moment, he starts searching Kota and the town name, again to no avail. He even tries Kota and obituaries but there's none of the handsome man floating around in the house. A groan of frustration as he keeps trying different words. Soon half an hour passes by and Kenny's no closer to finding out who the mysterious ghost is or where he came from. His only option left is to ask the ghost, and he doesn't want to do that. At least not now, when their relationship is so fragile.

Kenny returns to the cottage and smiles at Kota, staring at him for a minute and getting lost in his beauty. Cursing himself quietly, he should've searched how to date a ghost while he was outside. Maybe he can do it before he goes to sleep, that is if he remembers and if Kota doesn't hang around. He drops his laptop on his bed and gets his sketchbook and charcoal once more, returning to the sunroom and sitting on the couch.

He looks at Kota then back to the paper, starting to sketch the ghost. Drinking in his presence, he loves being around him. Kenny feels really comfortable around him, and drawn to him. He smiles as he draws, spiraling into daydreams full of him and Kota actually being together. Having conversations, laughing, touching. Everything he can't do with someone who doesn't exist on the same plane as him.

They live in comfort for the next few weeks, Kenny going into town for the morning and spending time with his new friends Matt and Nick, talking about nothing in particular. And a little bit about ghost fucking until they shut him down. Mostly the town and learning more about each other. He learned they're not actually twins no matter what he thought at first, and they learn he dreams of being an animator in Japan. Returning to the cottage for the afternoon and evening, Kenny talks aloud to himself and Kota, interpreting what the ghost says as best he can. Even flirting with him some. Though he doesn't know if Kota can tell.

He finds Kota looks absolutely adorable when embarrassed, his cheeks turning slightly more opaque than the rest of him in his version of a blush. He keeps getting lost in fantasies about living with Kota, being able to date him like a normal human being. But he still doesn't know a lot about the ghost. That might be why he asked, looking back on it he doesn't really know why he asked, but he thought it was an appropriate time.

"So, uh, if you don't mind me asking, how did you die?" Instantly the temperature in the room plummets. Previously, it was a pleasant spring day, but now the dead of winter encroaches on the small cottage. The lights flicker on and off, anything scattered around shaking. Pictures falling off the walls, glass from the frames shattering and covering the ground in tiny shards of pain. A rush of pain, anger, hurt, terror, distrust. Emotions explode, punching him in the gut. 

"Fuck, fuck I'm sorry Kota. You don't need to answer." Kenny cowers, wrapping his arms around his head and drawing his knees to his chest to protect himself. Terrified of the ghost's wrath. A vase flys by, shattering on the wall, shards piercing his skin as he feels the warmth of blood running down his arms, sharp bursts of pain.

All of a sudden it stops. Everything returns to an eerie calm. Temperature back to a pleasant one, lights bright as ever, even the flowers on the table rejuvenated with strength. The sun shining outside, birds singing joyfully. Pristine, tranquil. But something's wrong. Kenny slowly lifts his head from his arms, glancing around the room. No trace of the ghost anywhere, he would've thought it a memory if not for the shattered glass or the blood dripping on his skin.

Stomach sinking, he stands up, extremely careful over the glass scattered around, stepping around it to search his room. Nothing. He's alone, the sanctity of his cottage returning, as if nothing happened. He tears up, sitting on his bed and clinging onto his pillow. How quickly he ruined the new friendship, made his ghost friend upset and hate him. It hurts, he just had to open his big mouth. 

Why did he have to fuck up things with the first person he thought he could connect with, with the first person he started to fall in love with. He just couldn't stop the curiosity before he ruined everything. He sobs into the pillow, his soul ripped out of his body. And he has no one to blame but himself. He did this, he made himself alone. 

The next day he barely gets up. Staying in bed as much as possible, only leaving to go to the bathroom and get himself water. Forcing himself to try and take care of himself, but the world seems so empty. Like there's nothing to do, nothing worth living for. The ghost he was in love with is gone, driven away from a stupid stupid mistake. He stays in the rut of depression for a few days, made all the more torturous by dreaming of Kota, trance only broken from a knock at the door.

He tries to ignore it, not answering for a minute. The knocking stops for a few moments before starting again. Kenny groans, forcing himself out of bed to answer the door. Ignoring the dark circles under his red puffy eyes, the limp curls, and how he's only dressed in pyjama pants. He yanks open the door, ready to slam it in the face of whoever decided to bother him, but is too late before two whirlwinds force themselves into the house. Kenny groans and closes the door behind them, turning to face them.

Nick looks him up and down and sighs, "you look terrible man, what happened? Are you okay? We hadn't seen you in days and got worried about you." 

Kenny sighs and deflates, shaking his head and sitting at one of the chairs, watching Nick lean against the counter and Matt take a seat opposite him. "I pissed off Kota and now he hates me and isn't coming back."

"I'm sure it's not that bad Kenny, he just needs some time to calm down. I bet he'll be back eventually." Matt reassures him, glancing back at Nick then to Kenny again.   
  
Kenny shakes his head again and puts his head in his hands, "I asked him how he died." He mumbles into his hands, fighting back tears. That fails, a few fall, but he wipes them away as the brothers pretend like they didn't see it.

"What did you say Kenny? I couldn't hear you." Nick questions gently, a concerned look in his blue eyes as he watches Kenny.

"I asked him how he died okay, that's why he's mad at me. I shouldn't have asked, i should've just stayed quiet and enjoyed him, but I fucked it up." Kenny cries, tears spilling down his cheeks as he looks up at Nick.

Nick looks at him sadly and goes over to him, pulling him into a gentle hug. He rubs his back and runs his fingers through his droopy curls, trying to comfort him. "It's okay Kenny…"

Matt nods and takes Kenny's hand, squeezing it gently and smiling weakly, "he'll show up again I bet, he wouldn't have stuck around so much if he didn't like being around you."   
  
"I guess you're right, I just have to wait it out." Kenny mumbles and leans back a little, wiping the tears from his eyes. But he doesn't believe them, he's certain he lost Kota for good. The handsome ghost hasn't even been in his dreams, not since the first night in the cottage. 

Matt and Nick spend a bit more time with him before they have to return to town, leaving Kenny alone once more. The silence is heavy, weighing on his soul. Reminding him how alone he is. He doesn't even have any motivation to draw, something that used to always make him feel better. But this time he knows all he wants to draw is Kota, and all he'd see in his sketchbooks would be the ghost. Now only a ghost of a memory.

It starts like any other Tuesday, now a month after the day Kenny lost Kota for good. He goes into town, talking with his friends over breakfast then going to the store to get food for the next few days. He's not okay, not by a long shot, but he's managing. It hurts like a knife, not having the ghost he loves back at the cottage, but he accepted he can't do anything about it for the moment. 

He stops in and waves to Adam, they had become friends over time, not as close as Kenny and Matt and Nick, but he considers the blond a friend anyway. Adam smiles back and watches as Kenny gets the things he needs, stopping back at the counter to have a quick conversation over the bags of produce. It's calming in a way, Kenny doesn't have to think much, just letting Adam carry the conversation and adding his opinion when necessary.

Leaving the store, he returns to the lonely cottage. It's picture perfect if not for the sadness haunting the walls inside. Kenny doesn't know where Kota is, the ghost must still be in the cottage since he can't exactly leave, but he hasn't seen anything related to him in the past month. No flickering of lights, no weird ripples in reality, nothing out of place, no cold spots. If Kenny didn't know he had a housemate, he would've assumed it was normal.

Breaking the silence of the home, Kenny hears his phone ring from where he left it on the table. He sighs, not really feeling like talking to anyone, but thinking it could be important. It's from a number he doesn't recognize, and usually that means he would decline or let it go to voicemail, but some instinct in him tells him to pick up the phone. So he does.

"Hello?" He asks, leaning against the counter and looking out the window. There's a beat of silence, to which he would have normally hung up, but instinct keeps him rooted in place.

"Hi, is this Kenny Omega?" A man's voice comes through, it takes Kenny a moment to place the accent, Japanese. Kenny nods, then blushes because he realizes the person on the phone can't actually see him.

"Yes, this is him. Me. I'm Kenny." He stumbles over his words, blushing hard as he realizes what he said. "Who is this? And why are you calling me?"   
  


The other voice chuckles, "my name is Satoshi Nishimura, I've seen some of your work and I think it's a good fit for the anime I'm adapting. How would you like to come to Japan and work with us on  _ Hajime No Ippo _ ?"

Kenny's eyes widen and he pinches his arm, trying to believe this is real. Him, they want him. Just a small time animator fresh out of college being selected to go to Japan. "I… I of… of course. I would love to." He grins.

"Great! I'll email you the details. Welcome to the team Mr. Omega." The phone clicks and Kenny stares in shock. He still can't believe it, not even after the email pops into his inbox giving him flight information and where he'll be living. 

It's going to hurt, leaving the cottage, abandoning Kota and his new friends in town. But he thinks they should understand, he has to do this. It's the job of a lifetime and a fresh start. He can leave the haunting memories behind, forget all about the handsome ghost who disappeared along with his heart. It's for the best, isn't it?

The next week passes in a blur, packing his things, working out travel arrangements, and spending as much time with his friends as he can before he leaves. He doesn't know when he'll be back, so he wants to make the time count. All too soon he finishes loading his last boxes into his car, heading back into the cottage one last time. Making one last check to make sure he got everything, he leaves the keys on the table and sighs, standing in the middle of the kitchen.

"Hey Kota, I don't know if you'll hear this. Or pay attention to this, but… but I have to try. I'm sorry Kota. Really, truly sorry. If I could take it back, I would. I love you, I have since I first laid eyes on you. It doesn't matter to me that you're a ghost, I felt like we had a connection. Before I knew it, I was head over heels for you." He chuckles bitterly, "but then I had to go and ruin it. I'm sorry. I wish things went differently, I wish I wasn't such an idiot. I guess none of that matters anymore, I made my decisions, you made yours. I'm sorry Kota, I love you. I'll never stop loving you. But I need to move on with my life. I don't know if I'll be back, I got a job in Japan. Just… stay safe okay? Please? I'm sorry Kota, I'll always love you."

Kenny stands in the kitchen for a moment, fighting back tears, trying to get his emotions back under control. Waiting for some response, any response. After a moment he gives up, looking around the room one last time before walking out the door. It shuts slowly behind him, and a flicker of a man stands in the shadow, staring after the blond, longing written across all of his features. 

Without looking back, Kenny gets in his car and drives to Japan, ready to start his new life. He can't afford to look back, knowing if he did he wouldn't be able to leave. Too stuck in the past trying to get Kota to love him in a way he never did. In the future, there's a new start. And while Kenny knows he's always going to leave his heart in the Studio Ghibli meadow, maybe there's small parts of it that can be recovered in Japan.

Working in Japan is everything Kenny ever wanted in life. Well, apart from the ghostly hole left in his heart, but he can pretend like that doesn't exist. Japan is beautiful, his teenage dreams coming true. He spends hours getting lost in the city, exploring every inch of it in his breaks from drawing. The animation speaks to him, he loves doing it and there are times he falls asleep at his desk in the middle of a scene he really wants to finish.

But there's always a small part of him calling him back to the small town. He only spent three months there, but it felt like home. Even the pain and suffering of the last month, it was home. He ignores it as best he can, plunging into work, immersing himself in the culture, but any spare moment leaves him thinking about Kota. At least he can call Matt and Nick, they can distract him some, make him smile again. But nothing can take away the empty shell of Kota.

Every night without fail, a Japanese man haunts his dreams, always out of reach, never looking at him, never acknowledging him. Kenny spends many nights running through slowly rotting meadows, chasing the steps of the ghost who slips through his fingers every time. A pain worse than death, always running to something he cannot have. Yet he can't stop, because every night he tells himself that's when he's going to catch Kota.

Maybe that's why Kenny finds himself back at the cottage exactly a year later. It looks abandoned, flowers growing out of control, a depression seeping out of the cottage, infecting everything around it. It's strange, unfamiliar. Kenny doesn't know what's wrong, what could have changed in a year to make the atmosphere so sad. As if it's crying out for help.

Steeling himself, Kenny pushes open the front door. It's clearly abandoned, nothing out of place even a year later. The keys still on the table, stems of Arum and Clover flowers rotting in an empty vase. Tears well in Kenny's eyes, he didn't want it to be like this. So empty, lacking life and love. He sits by the front door, unable to bring himself to walk in further, to see the decay of the rest of the cottage.

This was a mistake, he tells himself, he should have never come. Perhaps that's true, but it's not enough to bring him to his feet, not enough to make him leave. He cries into his hands, only a few tears at first until he breaks into uncontrollable sobs. Why does everything he touch have to rot, is he really that destructive? Maybe it's for the best that Kota left him so long ago, the ghost had enough to worry about, he didn't need a broken shell of a man to add to the burden. 

He leans against the door, eyes red and puffy, tears stained on his cheeks. So reminiscent of when he lost Kota for the first time. Kenny sits there for hours, watching the shadows slowly grow longer and longer until the moon makes herself known, peering in above the treetops. He sighs, scrubbing his face with his hands in an attempt to wake himself up. 

Suddenly, a flicker in reality in front of Kenny. It peels back its curtain to reveal a translucent man, sitting inches above the ground. Kennys breath hitches in his throat, pinching himself hard. He can't believe it's real. After all this time, Kota returns. Kenny tears up again, staring at the ghost who stole his heart all those months ago. Finally, face to face with him again. For all his fantasies, Kenny's at a loss for words.

"You…. you came back." He whispers, terrified to alert Kota to his presence, certain the ghost didn't mean to reveal himself. When nothing changes, Kenny continues, "I missed you so much Kota. I never stopped loving you, I tried, but nothing worked. I love you."

Kota offers a small smile, reassuring Kenny as only he can. Kenny tears up again - not sad tears, he's all out of those - but tears of joy. He reaches out, stopping barely above Kota's translucent hand. Kota smiles wider, gently taking Kennys hand. It's strange, being touched by a ghost. It feels like nothing, yet it overwhelms the senses, Kenny's whole world centered on their hands.

Kenny grins, elation coursing through him like he had never felt before. Yes, he could be happy in a relationship with the ghost. It would be hard to make it work, but he could do it. He can move back to the cottage, either quit his animation job or beg them to let him live with Kota, spend the rest of his days with the one that he loves. "Thank you Kota."

Kota smiles and leans in, the weird sensation now on his lips. It barely registers he's being kissed by a ghost, until the pressure disappears. Kenny tilts his head, slightly confused, and opens his eyes. No, this can't be right. It just can't. Kenny trembles, scrambling to his feet and running through the cottage, but in all the rooms there's no sign of the ghost who stole his heart. 

Kenny screams, all the pain, heartache, disappointment, hatred expelling. There's nothing left of Kota. No feeling of companionship, no life within the walls. The cottage is empty, a ghost of its former self. Not even Kenny can breathe life into it anymore, as if the soul moved on with Kota. The screams pour out of him, life isn't fair. No. He just had the happiest moment in his life, how can it take so much from him in such quick time. He can't, he won't, he refuses to accept it. No. 

But there's nothing he can do. Not even he can bargain with the fates, bring a soul back to life who shouldn't have been there in the first place. No matter how much he begs, pleads to anyone who might listen, the fates stay silent, nothing. In the cruel meadow Kenny falls asleep, exhausted from the outpour of emotion. It's the first time in a year the man who stole his soul is nowhere to be found. 


End file.
